Pressurized dispenser having a valve with a measuring



March 24, 1964 J. K. LYON ETAL 3,126,132

I PRESSURIZED DISPENSER HAVING A VALVE WITH A MEASURING CHAMBER Filed Nov. 15, 1960 l Z5- :74- 5; JOHN B. Dyna/{r L IND 5117025.

5; 7745/2 14770;?/5'. ,Hime/s, B, RUSSELL @KEQM United States Patent Calif.

Filed Nov. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 69,523 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-355) The present invention relates generally to the dispenser art and more particularly to a novel pressurized dispenser for dispensing measured amounts of material under pres sure.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a container for pressurized material and a valve in sealing engagement therewith, the valve including a base member and a handle member mounted thereon for relative rotational movement. The base member contains a charging passageway which is in communication with the interior of the container, and a discharge port. The handle member contains a metering chamber movable with said handle member to a charging position in which it is in communication with the charging passageway and a discharging position in which it is in communication with the discharge port. The handle member also contains a filling passageway which can be brought into alignment with the charging passageway in order to fill the container with pressurized material. After the filling operation has been completed, the handle member can be rotated to either the charging position or the discharging position and a rod inserted into the filling passageway so that the lower end thereof is positioned in a groove contained in the base member. The rod and the groove thus limit the movement of the handle member between the charging position and the discharging position.

At the present time there are various types of pressurized containers in use for dispensing innumerable products including insecticides, deodorants, shaving cream, medicaments, dessert toppings, etc.

Some of these devices dispense measured amounts of material, whil others remaining in operation as long as the valve is maintained in the open position. Many of the devices which dispense measured amounts of material contain valves which are relatively expensive to manufacture and which contain a relatively large number of parts. Also, because of the complexity of the constructions, some of these valves have a tendency to malfunction and become inoperative. In addition, some of the dispensers are difiicult to charge when the container and valve are in the assembled position.

it is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel pressurized dispenser which can be easily and quickly charged with pressurized material when the valve and container are in the assembled position. More particularly, it is an object to provide such a device which can be filled through the valve by employing part of the dispensing mechanism, and the filling opening thereafter sealed without adversely affecting the dispensing mechanism of the valve. Specifically, it is an object to provide such a device which can be filled through the valve by employing part of the dispensing mechanism, and the filling opening then sealed with a member which thereafter functions as part of the valve construction in limiting movement thereof between a charging position and a discharging position.

Another object is to provide a novel pressurized container which includes a valve which is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Yet another object is to provide a novel pressurized dispenser which includes a valve which is relatively free from malfunctions and which is rugged in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a pressurized container constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the valve being shown in the charging position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1 in order to show both the discharge port and the charging passageway;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device showing the valve in discharging position;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but with the valve shown in the filling posit-ion and prior to scaling the filling passageway; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sealing member.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates a novel pressurized container embodying the teachings of the present invention, which includes a container 12 and a valve 14 which is fastened to the container by means of an annular member 16 which has an orifice 17 in one side thereof.

The container 12 is preferably made of plastic material and includes an upper peripheral edge :18 and an outwardly extending ridge or lip 20 adjacent thereto. The valve 14, which is of the metering type, includes a cylindrical base member 22 having an upper face and a cylindrical handle member 24 having an inner face, the handle member being mounted on the base member for rotational movement relative thereto. The base member 22 is mounted on top of the upper edge 13 of the container with a sealing gasket 26 therebe-tween. A charging passageway 28 extends axially through the base member 22 and positioned in the lower portion thereof is a tubular member 30 (dip stick) which extends downwardly into the container 12 to adjacent the bottom thereof (FIGS. 2 and 4). Also contained in the base member is a discharge port 32 and discharge passageway 34 which extend from the orifice 17 to the upper surface of the base member. The charging passageway 28 and the upper end of the discharge passageway 34 are spaced approximately apart as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A short shaft 36 projects upwardly from the upper face of the base member adjacent the center thereof. The upper face of the base member also contains a peripheral shoulder 38, an annular cavity 40, and an arcuate groove 42 approximately 90 in length which is provided in the cavity diametrically opposite to the charging passageway 28 and the discharging passageway 34.

Positioned in the cavity 40 is a disc-like sealing member 44 (FIG. 6) which is made of a resilient material, and which contains a central opening 46 for receiving the shaft 36, openings 48 and 50 in alignment with the charging passageway 28 and the discharge passageway 34 repectively, and an arcuate slot 52 coincident with the groove 42. A fiat, thin, bearing member 54 made of a low fraction plastic, such as Teflon, and containing similarly formed and spaced openings as in the sealing member 44, is positioned above the latter between the handle member 24 and the base member 22 to permit free relative rotational movement therebetween. The bearing member 54 may be omitted if the handle member 24 is made of a low friction plastic, or if the sealing member 44 is made of a resilient low friction plastic, or if a layer of a low friction plastic is sprayed or painted on either the bottom face of the handle 24 or the upper face of the sealing member 44.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the annular member 16 is bent or crimped into holding engagement with the shoulder 38 and the ridge 20 so as to maintain the base member 22 in sealing engagement with the upper edge of the container 12 with the gasket 26 held therebetween.

Turning to a consideration of the handle member 24, it includes a cavity 56 at the center thereof for receiving the shaft 36, and an outwardly extending ridge 58 which is in sliding engagement with the upper inturned lip of the annular member 16 whereby the handle member 24 is free to rotate relative to the base member but is prevented from being separated from the assembly. Also formed in the handle member is an axially extending filling passageway 60, and a metering chamber 62 which is in communication with the inner face of said member, the passageway 60 and the chamber 62 being approximately 180 apart.

In use, the valve is assembled with the sealing member 44 and the bearing member 54, if one is used, positioned between the handle member 24 and the base member 22, and the assembly mounted on top of the container 12. The annular member 16 is then placed in position and pressed or crimped as previously described so as to engage the ridge 20 and the shoulder 38, thereby maintaining the valve assembly in sealing engagement with the container. The handle member 24 is then rotated to align the filling passageway 60 with the charging passageway 28 (FIG. and the pressurized material is then forced into the container 12 through the dip stick or tubular member 30. When the container is filled and pressurized, the handle member 24 is rotated to move the filling passageway 60 away from the charging passageway 28 and into alignment with the groove 42. A rod 66 is then cemented in the passageway 60 with the lower end of the rod positioned in the groove 42. The rod seals the passageway 60 and, due to the length and position of the slot 42, limits the movement of the handle member between a charging position in which the metering chamber 62 is in alignment with the charging passageway 28, as shown in FIG. 2, and a discharging position in which the metering chamber is in alignment with the upper end of the discharging passageway 34, as shown in FIG. 4. It will be readily apparent that when the handle member is in the charging position, the metering chamber 62 is filled with the pres surized material to be dispensed, and when the handle member is moved to the discharging position, the measured amount of material contained in the chamber 62 is discharged through the passageway 34 and the port 32.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided a novel pressurized dispenser which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor. It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given only by way of illustration and example, and that changes and alterations in the present disclosure which will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

We claim:

1. A dispenser for pressurized material, including: a container for receiving a pressurized material; a valve assembly including a cylindrical base member having an upper face and a cylindrical handle member having an inner face, the base member being in sealing engagement with the container and the handle member being mounted on the base member for rotational movement relative thereto with said faces in opposed relationship; a discharge port in the base member having the inner end thereof at said upper face; a charging passageway extending through the base member from said upper face to the interior of the container; a metering chamber in the handle member extending from the inner face thereof and movable with said member to a charging position in e which the metering chamber is in communication with the upper end of the chargingpassageway and a discharg ing position in which it is in communication with the inner end of the discharge port; and means associated with the handle member limiting movement thereof between the charging position and the discharging position, said last named means including a groove in the base member, a filling passageway in the handle member adapted to be positioned in alignment with the charging passageway when it is open and the handle member is moved to a filling position and to be positioned in alignment with the groove when said member is in the charging and discharging positions, and a rod positioned in said filling passageway in sealing engagement therewith and having an end which projects into said groove.

2. A dispenser for pressurized material, including: a container for receiving a pressurized material; a valve assembly including a cylindrical base member having an upper face and a cylindrical handle member having an inner face, the base member being in sealing engagement with the container and the handle member being mounted on the base member for rotational movement relative thereto with said faces in opposed relationship; a discharge port in the base member having the inner end thereof at said upper face; a charging passageway extending through the base member from said upper face to the interior of the container, the inner end of the discharge port and the upper end of the charging passageway being approximately ninety degrees apart; a metering chamber in the handle member extending from the inner face there of and movable with said member to a charging position in which the metering chamber is in communication with the upper end of the charging passageway and a discharging position in which it is in communication with the inner end of the discharge port; a filling passageway extending through the handle member approximiately one hundred and eighty degrees from the metering chamber and which is adapted to be in alignment with the upper end of the charging passageway when it is open and the handle member is moved to a filling position; and means for limiting the movement of the handle member between the charging position and the discharging position after the container has been charged with pres surized material including the filling passageway, an arcuate groove in the upper face of the base member, and a rod positioned in said filling passageway in sealing engagement therewith and having an end which projects into said groove.

3. A dispenser for pressurized material, including: a container for receiving a pressurized material; a valve assembly including a cylindrical base member having an upper face and a cylindrical handle member having an inner face, the base member being in sealing engagement with the container and the handle member being mounted on the base member for rotational movement relative thereto with said faces in opposed relationship; a discharge port in the base member having the inner end thereof at said upper face; a charging passageway extending through the base member from said upper face to the interior of the container, the inner end of the discharge port and the upper end of the charging passageway being approximately ninety degrees apart; a metering chamber in the handle member extending from the inner face thereof and movable with said member to a charging position in which the metering chamber is in communication with the upper end of the charging passageway and a discharging position in which it is in communication with the inner end of the discharge port; a filling passageway extending through the handle member approximately one hundred and eighty degrees from the metering chamber and which is adapted to be in alignment with the upper end of the charging passageway when it is open and the handle member is moved to a filling position; and means for limiting the movement of the handle member between the charging position and the discharging position after the container has been charged with pressurized material including the filling passageway, an arcuate groove in the upper face of the base member having one end thereof approximately one hundred and eighty degrees from the inner end of the discharge port and the other end a similar distance from the upper end of the charging passageway, and a rod positioned in said filling passageway in sealing engagement therewith and having an end which projects into said groove when the handle member is in the charging position and when it is in the discharging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dietz Feb. 22, 1910 White May 6, 1952 Meyers Dec. 4, 1956 Kirally May 20, 1958 Rheinstrom June 16, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden July 3, 1928 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1925 

1. A DISPENSER FOR PRESSURIZED MATERIAL, INCLUDING: A CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING A PRESSURIZED MATERIAL; A VALVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL BASE MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER FACE AND A CYLINDRICAL HANDLE MEMBER HAVING AN INNER FACE, THE BASE MEMBER BEING IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTAINER AND THE HANDLE MEMBER BEING MOUNTED ON THE BASE MEMBER FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO WITH SAID FACES IN OPPOSED RELATIONSHIP; A DISCHARGE PORT IN THE BASE MEMBER HAVING THE INNER END THEREOF AT SAID UPPER FACE; A CHARGING PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING THROUGH THE BASE MEMBER FROM SAID UPPER FACE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER; A METERING CHAMBER IN THE HANDLE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE INNER FACE THEREOF AND MOVABLE WITH SAID MEMBER TO A CHARGING POSITION IN WHICH THE METERING CHAMBER IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE UPPER END OF THE CHARGING PASSAGEWAY AND A DISCHARGING POSITION IN WHICH IT IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INNER END OF THE DISCHARGE PORT; AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HANDLE MEMBER LIMITING MOVEMENT THEREOF BETWEEN THE CHARGING POSITION AND THE DISCHARGING POSITION, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING A GROOVE IN THE BASE MEMBER, A FILLING PASSAGEWAY IN THE HANDLE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHARGING PASSAGEWAY WHEN IT IS OPEN AND THE HANDLE MEMBER IS MOVED TO A FILLING POSITION AND TO BE POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GROOVE WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN THE CHARGING AND DISCHARGING POSITIONS, AND A ROD POSITIONED IN SAID FILLING PASSAGEWAY IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AND HAVING AN END WHICH PROJECTS INTO SAID GROOVE. 